The instant invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy construction wherein certain elements of the toy can be illuminated by exposing other portions thereof to an external light source.
It is generally recognized that often the play value of a toy can be substantially enhanced by the addition of elements thereto which can be illuminated when desired. For example, the play value of a toy monster can be enhanced by providing eyes thereon which can be illuminated to give the monster a more realistic and terrifying appearance. Similarly, illuminated tail lights and head lights can impart a more realistic appearance to a toy vehicle and thereby enhance the play value of the vehicle. Unfortunately, however, in order to provide illuminated elements in a toy construction, heretofore it has generally been necessary to include an artificial light source in the toy comprising one or more batteries and a light bulb. While, the addition of a light source to a toy can enhance the play value of the toy, unfortunately it generally also substantially increases the cost of the toy and it also means that the batteries must be periodically replaced by a user of the toy in order to maintain the light source in an operative condition. Both of these factors have tended to reduce the desirability of some toys having light sources therein, particularly those toys which would otherwise be adapted for relatively inexpensive constructions. Hence, although it has long been recognized that the addition of elements to a toy, which can be illuminated when desired, can substantially enhance the play value of the toy, in many cases it has not been practical to add elements of this type to otherwise simple and inexpensive toys.
While the use of light transmitting elements, such as fiber optic elements, in toys and other devices has been generally known for a number of years, most of the known toys which have included light transmitting elements have also included artificial light sources therein for supplying light to the light transmitting elements thereof. It has now been found that a new type of light element can be effectively used in toys and other devices for providing illuminated elements therein without the use of internal light sources. In particular, it has been found that when materials such as plastics which are both translucent and fluorescent are formed to provide light elements having enlarged collecting portions and reduced emitting portions, these light elements can be effectively utilized to provide illuminated elements in toys and other devices without requiring internal light sources in the toys. More specifically, when a light element of this type is mounted in a substantially opaque body of a toy or other device so that the collecting portion of the light element can be exposed to an external light source, and so that the emitting portion of the light element communicates with the exterior of the toy body through an aperture in the toy body to make the collecting and emitting portions of the light element visible at spaced locations on the exterior of the body of the toy or other device, light which falls on the collecting portion is internally transmitted to the emitting portion to illuminate the emitting portion, even when it is shaded from the external light source. In this regard, it has been found that light elements made of materials which are both translucent and fluorescent, i.e. translucent materials having fluorescent colors, exhibit a "glowing effect" when they are exposed to an external light source and it has also been found that this glowing effect is particularly pronounced in the portions of the light elements having reduced surface areas, such as the edge surface portions of a light element defined by a sheet of translucent fluorescent material. It has further been found that this phenomenon can be taken advantage of when a light element made of a translucent fluorescent material is constructed so that it has both collecting and emitting portions, wherein the collecting surface of the collecting portion has a substantially greater area than the exposed emitting surface of the emitting portion. It has also been found that the glowing effect exhibited by a light element constructed from a translucent fluorescent material is particularly pronounced in areas of the light element having at least slightly roughened surface characteristics. Hence, by providing a roughened emitting surface on the emitting portion of a light element, the illuminating or glowing effect which is observed when the collection portion of the light element is exposed to a light source is even further enhanced.
The instant invention provides a novel toy comprising one or more light elements wherein the light elements can be effectively illuminated without requiring that an artificial light source be included in the toy. Hence, the instant invention also provides an effective toy construction wherein one or more light elements can be illuminated, but wherein the toy can nevertheless be embodied in relatively inexpensive constructions. The toy construction of the instant invention comprises a toy body made of an opaque material and having an aperture therein, and a light element on the toy body, the light element being made of a translucent material having a fluorescent color and comprising a collecting portion having a collecting surface thereon which is located in an exposed position on the exterior of the toy and an emitting portion which integrally extends from the collecting portion and has an emitting surface thereon, the emitting surface being located in an exposed position on the exterior of the toy which is spaced from the collecting surface. The collecting surface has a substantially greater area than the emitting surface and the light element is mounted on the toy body so that the emitting portion communicates with the exterior of the toy through the aperture therein whereby the emitting and collecting surfaces are located in spaced positions on the exterior of the toy body. The collecting portion is preferably disposed on the upper portion of the toy body and the collecting surface preferably faces at least partially upwardly for receiving light from an external light source located above the toy, whereas the emitting portion is preferably disposed in a recessed socket in the toy body which is disposed in a location which is spaced from the collecting surface and preferably at least partially shaded from the light source. The toy of the instant invention can be effectively embodied as a toy doll character, such as a human-like monster character and hence in this case the toy body is embodied as a human-like monster doll body. The collecting portion is preferably disposed on the upper rear portion of the doll body, for example on the upper rear head portion thereof, and a pair of emitting portions are preferably provided in the light element, the emitting portions communicating with the exterior of the toy through apertures in the head portion of the doll body for defining a pair of eyes therein which are illuminated when the collecting portion is exposed to an external light source. Accordingly, the instant invention provides a unique and interesting doll construction, wherein the eyes of the doll are illuminated when the doll is exposed to a light source. When the doll construction is formed in the configuration of a monster character or the like, the collecting portion is preferably embodied as the exposed brain of the character on the rear portion of the character's head, although in other embodiments of the toy, it is contemplated that the collecting portion could be embodied as a helmet worn on the head of a doll or as clothing worn by a doll. In any event, by providing a light element having a collecting portion which is positioned on the rear portion of a doll and a pair of emitting portions which define a pair of eyes on the doll, an unusual character having illuminated eyes can be produced without including an artificial light source in the doll. It will also be understood that the concept of the instant invention can be applied to provide various other types of glowing elements on doll characters and the like, such as glowing nostrils, mouths, hearts or inanimate elements such as logos, medallions, visors, binoculars, and weapons, and that the concept of the instant invention can also be embodied in various other types of toys, including toy vehicles and toy weapons. Further, it will be understood that the general concept of the instant invention can also be applied to provide illuminated elements in a variety of other types of devices and structures too numerous to mention.
Devices representing the closest prior art to the instant invention of which the applicant is aware are disclosed in the U.S. patents to REVEKA, U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,796; LAVAL, JR., U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,853; GLASS, U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,678; and NIEMI, U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,752. However, since these patents do not suggest a device which may be constructed so that it does not include an artificial light source, but which includes a light element comprising an emitting portion having an emitting surface thereon and a collecting portion having a collecting surface thereon, wherein the collecting surface is of substantially greater dimension than the emitting surface, and wherein the light element is made of a material which is both translucent and fluorescent, they are believed to be of only general interest.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a toy construction which does not necessarily include an artificial light source therein, but wherein one or more light elements of the toy can nevertheless be illuminated when desired.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a toy doll having eyes which can be illuminated by exposing the doll to an external light source.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a toy construction comprising an opaque toy body having an aperture therethrough and a light element made of a material which is both translucent and fluorescent, the light element comprising a collecting portion having a collecting surface thereon which is located in an exposed position on the exterior surface of the toy, and an emitting portion which communicates with the exterior of the toy through the aperture and has an exposed emitting surface thereon which is spaced from the collecting surface, wherein light which is received by the collecting portion is transmitted to the emitting portion to illuminate the emitting portion.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means for providing an illuminated element in a toy construction.